Sentimental Gestures
by Charlotte Clark
Summary: 5 months have past, Sookie and Eric are busy living their lives and being happy. An unexpected visitor would like nothing more than to end that happiness.
1. Chapter 1

Quiet. She noticed that everything around her was just… quiet. She sat in the living room and looked out the massive windows. There was no sound, no noise, just the hum of his life in her mind. She sipped on her cup of coffee and reflected on her life. The sun was still about an hour away from setting. The horizon was starting to turn a slight shade of orange and the sky just above it was darkening. "Life is what happens when you're not looking", she thought to herself. Isn't that the way the saying goes?

Five months ago her life had changed significantly. Five months ago she allowed herself to accept what was inevitable, she accepted him. Or maybe she just gave in to the fear that was holding her back for so long. She dug her heels in and fought her feelings and emotions for what seemed like years, only to end up in this very place. And this very place was what she had dreamed for her entire life, it was quiet.

She looked at the birds in the tree's and she watched as the squirrel's ran around the grass and down the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day, the animals were still enjoying the time in the fading sunlight. It wouldn't be much longer until her love was awake, her heart skipped a beat as she thought about him. Why had she fought her love for so long?

Technically she was still living in Bon Temps, Eric had her house renovated and made into a state of the art "paradise". It had everything you could imagine, while still keeping it's southern antique feel. They both had decided that the house held too many good memories to erase. It was still her home, her Gran's home, just better. Now, she was spending ninety percent of her time in Shreveport at Eric's. He loved having her with him at all times, and she was happy to stay. Amelia was happy as could be having the house to herself most of the time anyway.

She drove to Bon Temps when she needed to work, and Sam had been generous enough to cut back her hours when she finally asked, and schedule her for mostly day shifts. After she and Arlene had there _incident,_ as it was now called, they were pretty much always scheduled on opposite shifts. The less she saw of Arlene the better, and Arlene had felt the same way. Eric had "taken care" of the boyfriend of Arlene's that had almost hit her. He found out where the boyfriend and the best friend, or as she liked to call them, Dumb and Dumber, had been hanging out recently. He managed to sneak up on them one night as they walked out into the parking lot of a dimly lit shopping center. Eric broke the neck of the boyfriend in one quick motion and drained him of every drop of blood. He Glamoured his friend into spouting some story that his friend had met some other woman, quit his job, and up and took off to Oklahoma City. He had absolutely no memory that he witnessed the murder of his friend. All he knew was what Eric had placed into his head, and that was what he was certain happened.

She never questioned the fact that Arlene's boyfriend was there one day and gone the next, she didn't want to know.

She thought about how her life would be so drastically different today if she had never saved Bill from those drainer's. She would have never been pulled into this life of vampire shit as she so fondly called it. She would not be fearing for her life a good part of the time, she would not be getting pulled in hundreds of different directions by everybody all wanting a piece of her, she would never had met Eric.

When this thought crossed her mind she tensed at the notion. She could not even imagine her life without him now. She went so long purposely pushing him out of it, and now he was so important to her that her heart ached when she thought of not having him. She pressed her hand to her chest and felt her heart beat. Her heart beat for the both of them now. She decided that she would go upstairs and wait for him in his favorite place, the bedroom.

She could feel the hum in her head get louder and more intense, along with the feeling of longing and desire in their bond. She peaked into the door where Eric was resting and watched him as he restlessly began to wake. He had the hideous afghan wrapped around his body, a sight that would always take her breath away. She quietly closed the door behind her and slipped herself into the bed right behind him.

As soon as he felt her body next to his their bond filled with ease. She nuzzled close to his back and rested her check on his shoulder. He was not quite awake yet but she knew that he was awake enough to feel her with him. He turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her body and squeezed her to him. He mindlessly kissed her hair and her neck as he inhaled the smell that was her body.

She rubbed his arms and locked her fingers in his. She loved this part of the day, the part where he was still technically asleep, but alert to her body. Anyone else and a vampire would be ready to strike and fight if they were disturbed during this time. Not her, he held her, he simply loved her.

"There is nothing I enjoy more than waking up with my lover by my side", he whispered in her ear as he became alert. "Well, maybe there is something I enjoy more…", he began to kiss and lick her neck in just the right spot. To be honest, there was nothing she liked more than to make love as soon as he woke up either. There was something so needful and hungry in the way he made love to her when he first woke. It was like he was desperate to have her, to feel her.

"Well good morning to you too, honey", she teased him as he kissed her neck. "Miss me much?" She didn't even have to ask.

"I miss you always. I have not touched this body in hours, I love you Sookie." His voice was raspy with sleep and want. She allowed him to continue his exploration of her body, it was as though she was just as desperate to have him.

He laid feather light kisses all over her trembling stomach and watched as her body reacted to his touch. He let his fingers glide inside of her body and she let out a very thankful sigh. He bent down and kissed her, her mouth responded like it was the first and last kissed all rolled into one. Her body flared with the heat from his kiss alone, not to mention what his hands were busy doing.

She thought she was about to come when he pulled his fingers from her body and replaced it with himself . She wrapped her legs around his waist and locked them behind his back. He had broken their kiss for only a moment and quickly placed his mouth back on hers. They moved together in perfect harmony and knew each other in the most intimate ways. He caressed her body as he made love to her and she grasped at his flesh begging him to push into her harder. He whispered in her ear some very intimate descriptions of what he would like to do to her, she was just to ladylike to repeat them out loud. She grabbed his face in her hands right as she felt herself begin to orgasm, "Eric, I love you, more than I ever thought possible." And she came, he was right behind her. Her declaration of love had pushed him over the edge.

"I love you too my lover. More every day, but first things first. I needed to have you the minute I felt you beside me, but right now I am…famished." He grinned and bit.


	2. Chapter 2

They laid together and talked in bed for the next hour. They would both be going to Fangtasia this evening to work. She had started cocktail waitressing for him every now and again. It made both of them happy to be with each other. He especially enjoyed having her at the bar where everyone could see that they had finally become one.

"Lover, have you thought about what I asked you last week? I meant what I said, it does not feel right when you are not here." He searched her blue eyes for what he hoped was the answer. He had asked her to move into his home permanently. She wanted to, she was just uncertain about her own home, her own future.

"Honey, I've thought about it a lot. I love being here with you. I love waking up with you, and going to sleep with you. I love it here….I'm just, scared." She averted her eyes.

"There is nothing to be fearful of. There is nothing to ever be fearful of when you are with me. I will never let anything or anyone harm you in anyway." He rubbed her shoulders as she still stared across the room at the empty air.

"Eric, I'm not afraid of being physically hurt, I know that would never happen. I mean, seriously… how crazy would someone have to be to try and hurt me here in your house." She laughed and snorted just a little bit. "I'm scared of…us. What if something happens to us? What would we do? We have this bond, and I love you more than I ever thought possible. I am so scared of ruining what we have." She finally looked at him, her desperate eyes focused on his beautiful, pale face.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. He brushed the hair from her face and smoothed it over her head. "Sookie, I know we have been over this many times. You are doubting your worth and I will not let you do that. If you continue with this nonsense I will be forced to do something…drastic." He smirked at her and winked. "We are Bonded, we are one, we are happy. Nothing will change that, ever. Not unless you allow it. I have never felt such intense love for another person. You Dear One, you are my beloved…get used to it." He laughed and grabbed her and wrapped her up tight.

She laughed along with him as he rolled her over on the bed and hugged her tightly. "Get used to it, huh? How romantic!" She sarcastically shouted. As soon as the words left her lips he kissed her deeply and showed her just what it meant to be beloved. It felt good. Really, really good. They moved their bodies to the bathroom in order to get ready for the night of work that was ahead of them.

The drive to Fangtasia was quiet. She looked out the window at the passing landscape and thought about accepting Eric's offer. He knew what she was thinking because he could feel through their bond that she was feeling happy, safe, uncertain.

"Eric, what did you mean when you said you'd be forced to do something drastic? You know, earlier when we were in bed, and we were talking about us. What did you mean by drastic?" She questioned him with innocent curiosity.

He let out a rumbling laugh that always made her feel safe. "Ooh, interested are you lover? All in good time. All in good time. I am a man of many secrets." He teased her with his words and she could only stare at him.

"But you're supposed to tell me everything? How can you be a man of sooo many secrets if you're supposed to tell me everything?" She countered back in a playful manner. She knew damn well that she hadn't the faintest idea of everything that went on in his world, and she was thankful for that.

"I tell you everything lover that is important to our future. I am a man of mystery, but, perhaps I will show you later just what drastic matters I plan on taking to get what I want." He bent down and kissed her quickly.

They pulled into the parking lot at Fangtasia and Pam was already there. The security lights were on and the back entrance was unlocked. It was still an eerie feeling for her to walk into the bar before it opened, before the fang bangers descended, before the music blared. It was still and quiet, almost…peaceful. She looked around the huge empty space and remembered the first time she had come to this place. The first night she had met Eric, the night he claims changed his entire existence. She looked towards the booth where she and Bill had sat when they came here. That night was also the night that had changed her entire existence, she felt a smile at the corners of her mouth.

Eric had disappeared into his office while she was standing in the empty bar. She hadn't noticed that she was alone as they tend to move so quickly and so silently. She looked around her and saw no one. She went over and sat down in that very booth. She closed her eyes and remembered that night like it was yesterday. She remembered the fang bangers approaching their booth, begging Bill to go with them. She remembered the thoughts of sex racing through the minds of the patrons that evening. She remembered catching the view of Eric out of the corner of her eye, he was mesmerizing then and she didn't even know who he was. He was beautiful…and now he was hers.

"Sookie, Sookie…" Pam was calling her name. Apparently she was deeper in her daydream than she thought.

"Oh, Hi Pam. Sorry, I was, um…What did you need?" She looked at the stunning vampire with curiosity. Pam was still in her everyday clothes and not her work attire. She had on the most beautiful, blush pink cashmere sweater. It was the most perfect shade of pink, not harsh and tacky. Just perfect and sweet, absolutely stunning. It made her straw colored hair look even paler, if that was at all possible. The sweater was paired perfectly with pressed linen pants and brown sandals. She was gorgeous, so innocent looking. Until she opened her mouth and exposed the tips of her pointed fangs.

"Sookie, Eric requests that you join him in his office." She said flatly and began to walk away.

"Great, thanks Pam. I love your sweater, It's beautiful." She had liked Pam and considered her a friend. She liked to think that Pam felt the same way, or as much as a vampire could feel.

"Thank You Sookie. I ordered it online from , it was on sale." Pam was proud of her bargain.

She walked into Eric's office to find him behind his desk and under a stack of paperwork. She had added a few touches to his office to make it feel more homey and more comfortable. She walked over to him and stepped back behind his desk and behind his office chair in order to drape her arms down over his chest. He rubbed his hands mindlessly over her arms and kissed her skin where her shirtsleeves had raised up. She bent down and kissed his neck. They could feel each others satisfaction through their bond.

"Now Eric, wasn't it your rule about vampire/human sex within this building, and it being…what was the word?" Pam tapped her finger to her temple and gave an evil look towards her Master. "Oh yes, unacceptable. Yes, you said it was unacceptable for any vampire to be having sex with a human inside this building." She was purposely antagonizing him, like a little kid poking an animal with a stick.

"Pam, I do seem to remember that rule. And if I remember correctly that rule was put into place when I was trying to sort through the memories of my lost time with my love. When I could not stand to hear or see or smell another vampire enjoying the flesh of a human in a way that I so desperately needed to remember and feel again." He looked at her with an evil and dark glare. He reached around and pulled her on to his lap and kissed her on the neck and on the lips. "But, since things have been put to right, I feel that I can make an adjustment to that rule." He grinned at her and kissed her again. "The only sex in this building will be the sex of me and my love. And for your little game you will be punished. You will be working the door for the entire week."

He knew Pam hated working at the door. The dress up, the role play, the whole vampire on display act. She despised acting for the vermin. Pam also knew that this would most likely be the case when she decided to have her brief moment of fun. She shot him a slight look of humiliation and nodded, and disappeared.

"Little does she know we've had sex in this office tons of times" She whispered in his ear and laughed.

"Oh lover, I'm sure she's figured it out." He rubbed his hands over her body and let his mouth wander around her neck and breasts. She immediately responded and weaved her fingers through his hair. She was already in his lap and could feel his excitement growing, she reached down to caress his ever growing erection and he moaned into her ear.

"How much time do we have?" She asked breathlessly.

"Ssh, do not worry about such nonsense. Look at me, time means nothing." She met his eyes and felt his hands slip under her bra to rub her bare breasts. She loved the way her body felt when he was touching her. He kissed her deeply and hard. It felt like he was trying to suck her tongue right out of her mouth. She bit his bottom lip and tasted a little of his blood. This got an instant response and a deep, guttural moan from his body. She sucked on the tiny, tiny wound on his lip and with each suck his moans became more and more deep. His hands were in a frenzy, grasping at her hair, her shoulders, her back, her hips. Anywhere he could touch were his hands, and they were there quickly.

"Oh, lover, Sookie…" He moaned into her ear as she kissed his neck and his shoulder. He was ready to take her and she was ready to be had.

"Eric, please…now." Her eyes met his and she raised herself off of his lap slightly, she opened his pants to release the pressure. He whisked away her pants in a quick, fluid motion and he settled her back into his lap, in his office chair. He entered her and she gasped at the immediate pleasure she felt. She threw her head back and he pulled down the neckline of her shirt in order to kiss more of her bare flesh. He rocked her on him, his hands wrapped tightly around her hips.

Neither one of them had remembered that the office chair was on wheels. They quickly realized that they chair was moving across the room and they would need to consider another surface. He raised out of the chair as she wrapped her legs around has waist. Out of pure convenience and need to continue, he dropped them to the office floor and positioned himself on top of her. He thrust into her hard and deep, she ripped at the shirt on his back as her fingers clawed at the fabric. He was moving quickly, hard, and incredibly deep. She was panting with exhaustion at the pace he was keeping, but it felt so good. He knew her body in every way, and he knew that her body could keep pace, and it would.

"You are incredible my love." His voice was tense and breathless . "I can't get enough of you." He moaned into her ear and pushed deeper into her body.

"Eric, Eric…Oh" She felt her orgasm and his building. She gripped his butt and pulled him deeper into her body as she tried to press her hips that much closer to his. He thrust and pulled her shirt down to expose the top of her breast, and he bit. The minute his fangs pierced her skin they both came, she screamed his name as he drew on the wound moaning and growling. He licked the wound to start it healing and collapsed on top of her. She ran his fingers through his hair and kissed him softly and looked at his intense blue eyes.

"Eric, I'll come and live with you at your house." She ran her fingers over his lips.

"Sookie, it is not my house…it is our home." He wrapped around her tightly and held her to his body. She could feel the relief and the happiness when he heard those words. "It is _our_ home" he repeated the words again into her hair.


	3. Chapter 3

They put the office back to rights and picked up any pieces of paper that may have landed on the floor. She helped straighten up his desk and noticed that on his large desk calendar were the words, 'Compton-Annubis 10:45'. Bill was coming home on Friday, today was only Wednesday. Eric had not mentioned this to her at all. She decided that she would not bring this up, if he wanted her to know he would tell her. She tensed at the idea of seeing Bill again. It had been almost six months since the last time she had spoken to him.

He came to her in the middle of the night six months ago to tell her that he was going back to South America to work more on his database. He had expected to be gone for a great deal of time. He had asked her to keep an eye on his property and asked her to make sure she was careful. He had also once again pledged his never ending love and devotion, his sincere unhappiness with their current situation, and apologized for the hundredth time for his betrayals and his lies and his deceptions. He had kissed her that night before he left. His parting words to her that night were the simple request to think about the ways things used to be. Before she could even catch her breath from the kiss he laid on her he was gone. She couldn't even say goodbye. Now he was coming home.

She was nervous, tense, completely caught off guard. She had been enjoying these past months so much that she never even remembered that she was going to need to tell Bill finally that she had become one with Eric. He had always known that there was something between them, but now, now it was real. It was love, it was the most incredible, balanced, happiest relationship she had ever had. She was in love and happy. Now all she had to do was tell her first love, who still happened to love her.

"Sookie, what is wrong? You are not feeling yourself? Tell me, are you having second thoughts about our living arrangement?" He asked her with great concern. Her feelings had been felt through their bond.

"No, no…not at all. I'm just nervous." She grabbed her Viking and kissed him. "Now, lets go to work."

They emerged from his office and Pam smirked as she knew full well what they had been doing. She smelled the air as they walked by and let her fangs run down. Eric just glared at her and let her know to not to begin her games again. Pam quickly lowered her head and walked towards the entrance to the bar. Her black leather corset was laced tightly up the back and the black leather mini skirt looked as though she had painted it on. Her body was stunning. The ensemble was finished with black thigh high boots and hair that was teased enough to make every 80's hair band front man jealous. She could definitely play the part that was expected of her.

Eric took his usual spot at the center of the bar and she watched as the entire room full of humans and vampires alike cast their eyes in his direction. But, as usual, his eyes were only focused on her. Since they had been together he had been completely and fully faithful to her and her alone. He would not even bite or drink from another. She smiled as she saw him wink at her. She grabbed her pad and pencil and began making rounds. She was a hard worker, even if she was dating the boss.

The crowd at Fangtasia was a lot different than the crowd at Merlotte's. No one really wanted to make small talk with her about the local sports teams, or did she hear about the new bar that was opening up a few miles down the road. The people here only wanted drinks, sex, and Eric. They all pretty much tried to ignore her, or just the opposite, tried to seduce her in hopes of getting to Eric through her. She often felt her tense, Crazy Sookie smile become plastered on her face when a fang banger was a little to forward in their broadcasting. Eric would notice this and immediately calm her through their bond.

On the nights she would work at Fangtasia it would only be for a couple of hours. Eric never liked her to work an entire shift because the night was long, and as the night grew longer, the bar patrons would become more aggressive in their attempts to get what they wanted. She understood that this was his way of protecting her. Still, in the couple of hours she did work she always made more money than a double shift at Merlotte's. That was a huge positive about Fangtasia, the tips were almost absurd.

As she finished out her shift she went into Eric's office to clean up and change. He had insisted that she keep clothes at the bar in case he had an "accident". Pretty much he wanted to make sure that if her clothes had been ripped or become unwearable in anyway after he had his way with her she would always have a back up. She had laughed when he suggested this, but as usual, this had come in handy a couple of times already. She went to the wardrobe chest and took out a clean shirt and a new pair of jeans. She pulled her hair out of the pony tail that had been holding it and brushed it out so it flowed over her shoulders. She quickly glanced back towards the calendar on his desk and shook her head. She touched up the little makeup she wore and reentered the bar.

She looked around and saw a woman, blond and gorgeous, practically stripping in front of Eric. The look on his face was bored and irritated. This apparently egged the blond on thinking that she needed to try harder. Her boobs were all but falling out of her almost non-existent halter top. She was desperate for his attention and was not going to stop her antics until he focused on her. This was her first time at Fangtasia, she chose not to listen when everyone tried to tell her the Eric was not available to anyone other than his love. This blond slut was quite the broadcaster. _One night with me and he'll forget all about his whore I heard she's blond like me he won't even miss her Look at me Look at me He will fuck me No one has ever turned me away I'll bet she's a bitch God I want him If he looks at me it's all over for his bitch Look at me take me fuck me_

She decided that now would be the time to take her place with him as she had heard enough and now this girl was just plain embarrassing herself. All of the people in the bar that knew her turned to look at her and to see what would happen. Some of them had hoped for a blond on blond cat fight, while others hoped for a little blood shed, and still others had hoped for their Master to take both of the blonds right there in the middle of the bar for all to see. None of that would happen. She quietly walked towards him and he saw her approaching. He raised out of his chair and smiled and walked towards her. They met half way and he grabbed her and kissed her like he was showing everyone in that bar that this was his everything. She kissed him back and ran her fingers through his blond hair. They looked in each other's eyes and just enjoyed the moment. He took her hand and led her back towards his chair, where the blond was still standing in front of it.

He positioned himself back in his seat and perched her in his lap making sure to wrap his arms around her waist in the most protective and comfortable manner. He glared towards the blond that was speechless. She looked up at them and gave her a look that could have killed even an undead vampire. Her broadcasting was hateful, _unfucking believable you are a bitch I hope you fucking die bitch bitch ugly fucking bitch I am so much better than you You are a bitch I hate you you fucking bitch._

She just looked at her as these words flowed from her mind. She had heard enough and whispered into Eric's ear. He knew that she was feeling very uncomfortable as he could feel her uneasiness. "Eric, I think this one has maybe had a little too much to drink. I'll use that as an excuse for her hateful behavior. Is it possible to have her leave this area. I'm a little tired of being called very, very nasty names." She whispered very lowly into his ear.

"Of course my love. I will do one better, I will have her removed from the building. I find her pathetic and insulting . I will not allow anyone to insult you, especially in front of me." He replied so low that only she could hear him. He gave a quick head motion and Pam was immediately by his side. He tilted her head down as he whispered into her ear what he wanted done to this fang banger, but he recited the words in anther language, French maybe. He looked down at the blond, still in awe that she had been ignored and seething over the fact the she was not going to be had by the Viking.

"I do not appreciate your attempts to try and entice me into feeding from you, or fucking you, or whatever you may have expected. I take it as a personal insult that you would think such unspeakable thoughts about my love, who is too much of a lady to repeat them. You are a pathetic creature and you are not to return to this establishment. Do you understand me?" He hissed at her and waited for her answer. She nodded out of humiliation.

"Cover your body back up and get out of here. Take any people you may have brought with you. You are not welcome here, ever" He growled and she disappeared. Pam followed behind her to make sure that she was capable of following instructions.

"Eric, you didn't have to made her leave. She could have just gone to the other side of the bar, far enough away so that I couldn't hear her thoughts. She was just trying to get you into bed. Isn't that what everyone pretty much wants to do?" She rested her head on his shoulder and waited for his response.

"Sookie, she was the type of person that was desperate for attention. She would not have stopped until I physically stopped her. That would have involved me causing her physical harm, I do not enjoy that. She needed to leave, it was for her own good." He bent down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you". He whispered and hugged her close to him.

She thought about asking him about the calendar, but pushed the thought aside. If he wanted her to know he would tell her, she hoped. "I love you too, baby" She replied.

"Any chance we can get out of here early? I'm getting tired. That little show with the girl made my mind hurt. I just want to go home." She nuzzled her head against his chest hoping that would persuade him a little.

"Lover, I can't leave early tonight. I must finish my work and go through the papers in my office. Had we not gotten _sidetracked _earlier perhaps I could have left a little earlier. If you would like to go home, please, take the car. I will have Pam drop me off. I do not want you feeling too tired to drive, please, I will see you out." His voice was gentle and soft. He lifted her off his lap and set her to the floor, took her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. He walked her out to the car and saw that she was safely in the drivers seat. He kissed her and watched her drive towards home. He was happy she wanted to leave early, he had some things to think about, alone.


	4. Chapter 4

It was just after midnight when she drove off, he watched the taillights disappear and finally walked back inside. He nodded to Pam to let her know that he would be in his office if he was needed. He sat down in his chair and smiled as he remembered making love to her in that chair just hours earlier. He inhaled the air around him and could still her. He loved the way she smelled after they had made love. Actually, he loved the way she smelled all the time.

He picked up a picture frame off of his desk. It was a picture of the two of them that Pam had taken. They were not paying attention to the fact that Pam had a camera and they were playing with each other. She had a look of mischief in her eyes as she pressed her forehead to his. Neither was looking at the camera, it was just a photo of the two of them looking at each other. Her with mischief and laughter all showing in her eyes, and him with love and pure desire. His hands were wrapped in her hair, as if her was pulling her in for a kiss and she was purposely pulling back in order to tease him. Pam had given it to him as a gift. It was one of his most treasured possessions. He rubbed his finger over her face and replaced the picture on his desk. He sighed heavily, he was feeling very uncertain, very uneasy, very nervous.

She was almost home and she felt his feelings and thought about turning around. She thought again, if he was truly in trouble the feelings would be stronger and she would not be able to fight to urge to return to him. She chalked it up to him being left alone at the bar and having to finish the night out alone. They hated being away from each other, especially when it could be avoided. She was just too tired and she knew that some sleep would do her good.

He looked at his desk and stared at the calendar. He was uneasy about Bill's return. He would like nothing more than to have him take a permanent business trip to South America. At least he wouldn't have to worry about him always trying to get back into her good graces. He had made it very clear to Pam and everyone else in his territory that word was not to get to Bill about his and Sookie's relationship. He wanted to be the one to tell him what had happened. He wanted to be the one to deal the final blow. He had never forgiven him for the way he treated her, for the pain he caused her. He wanted to be the one to selfishly rub his nose in his happiness. The problem was that he knew that it would hurt her. He was still unsure of how to tell her that he was coming home.

"Pam…Pam" He called from his office, just loud enough that his child would hear herself being summoned. She appeared a moment later.

"Yes, is there something that you need?" She asked flatly and quietly.

He nodded towards the empty chair and motioned for her to sit down. She obeyed and looked at him with questionable eyes. "Pam, I need some advice." He was cautious with his words. The master never would seek advise from someone meant to serve him. She looked at him with equal parts shock and amusement.

"What is it, I shall help you to the best of my ability." She sat up and waited for his response.

"Pam, Bill is coming home on Friday night. I haven't told Sookie yet. I must tell her, but I do not want to tell her because I know that she will want to see him. It makes me sick to think of her seeing him, being with him. I can't stand the idea of him trying to beg for her forgiveness yet again. I would like nothing better than to dispose of Mr. Compton, but, I know that would hurt her." He was at a loss for how to proceed.

"Eric, you must tell her. She is stubborn and she hates to have things kept from her. If she finds out that you have purposely kept her in the dark she will be furious with you." She looked at him with the intensity that he needed to see. "He will beg her for forgiveness, that you can not change. He will most likely do this every time he see's her. And every time he does this she will say the same thing. She will tell him how much she loves you and how much you love her. Again, she is a stubborn human, she will not falter. You must tell her, and you must tell her soon." She said sternly .

"I know, I just hate the idea of her and him together and speaking. I know that this is going to happen. She will insist on telling him about us before I have the chance. She will tell me that I will be cold and it will be like bragging, and she will be right. " He was almost talking to himself.

"Sheriff, she is one of the only smart humans I know. She will be ok, you will be ok. Things will be fine, you must trust the bond that you share. You would not have made it this far if you were not strong. I have no doubt that the two of you will be better off after all of this has passed. It is better to clear the air and allow Bill and Sookie to have closure." She was remembering an advise column she had read recently.

"Thank you, Pam. I will tell her tonight, I will tell her the minute I get home. You know, she agreed to move into my home tonight. I had asked her last week if she would think about it, but she was not ready, she enjoys being her own person. But tonight, tonight she said that she would." He smiled and felt how much he loved her. Pam rolled her eyes as she saw how comfortable he was at sharing this. "Pam, I want to give everything to her. I want to be with her always, I want her to marry me."

Pam must have gasped because his eyes quickly shot her way in a tense and unforgiving way. "Do you have something you would like to say?" He demanded.

"No, I just think that the timing is little off Eric." She thought quickly.

"Explain yourself" He hissed.

"Well, if you go home and tell her about Bill's impending arrival, and then you ask her to marry you…..it would just seem like you were trying to prove an even bigger point. It would look like you were putting your mark on her, more than fang marks, more than your scent. Eric, if you ask her to marry you right now it would seem like you were doing it to hurt Bill and not because you truly want her to marry you." She tried to be calm and composed, but she knew that she had upset him greatly.

"I care nothing about what Compton feels. I have thought about this long before I even got word that he was to be returning home. When she accepted my invitation to move in to my home I knew it was the right time. The fact that he is returning is just bad timing. I care nothing about him, I care only for her. I want her to know exactly how much I care for her, how much I love her. " He was angry and he was looking at Pam with eyes that were ready to fight for his love.

"Eric, think about this. That is all I am saying. Put yourself in her place. You are going to tell her that Bill is returning and she is going to feel responsible for telling him about the two of you. She hates to make anyone feel bad or hurt, and that is what she is going to do to him. If you ask her to marry you she will start that thing she does, that thinking thing that involves making a mental note of the good and bad reasons to do something." She paused as she saw Eric chuckle a little as he pictured this, it was something she did do quite often. Pro's and con's, yes or no, good or bad. "She will come to the conclusion that you asked her because you wanted to show Bill that you had won the grand prize…her. She will resent your timing, maybe resent the fact that you asked at all. She will be angry and she will be hurt. I am not telling you not to ask her, just wait a little longer. If you wait it will be better, it will be better received." Her eyes were gentle, almost begging him to listen to her words.

He looked at her and absorbed her words. He silently paced around his desk and reached into the bottom drawer. He pulled out a black velvet box and laid it gently on the top of the desk. He motioned for Pam to pick it up and to look inside. She obeyed and silently flipped open the delicate top of the little box. Her mouth dropped open and her fangs ran out. Inside the box was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It was an oval cut diamond that looked to be about 2 carats. The diamond was flanked by two oval cut, blood-red rubies. The rubies looked to be about a carat each, the deepest red she had ever seen. All set in a perfect setting of platinum.

"I had this ring designed months ago. It took over two months for the jeweler to find two rubies that were to my standards. I wanted the deepest red that anyone had ever seen. It is to be symbolic of my blood and her blood and the bond we share. I knew she would not be comfortable wearing anything too large, if I had my way she would have the largest ring that has ever been made. I thought this would be perfect, just right for her." He had given this ring a lot of thought and was proud of the final product.

"It is simply stunning. She will wear it proudly, no matter when you give it to her." She smiled and rose from her seat. She handed the box to Eric, still open. She looked at him and waited to be excused. He nodded in appreciation of her words. She disappeared without a sound.

He held the box in his hand and stared at the ring. He imagined her wearing this ring and telling everyone she was going to marry him. He felt the joy spread through his body as he anticipated her reaction to seeing the ring. He thought about Pam's words and thought about the timing. He damned Bill and thought about staking him the minute he walked off the plane. He closed the box and slipped it into his pocket. He sat down and began to diligently work through everything that needed to be completed before he could go home for the night. Every so often he would reach down and touch the box in his pocket, making sure it was there.


	5. Chapter 5

_She was so relieved to be home. She was tired and the woman at the bar had reminded her just how many other women were willing to do anything to be with Eric. Her mind ached at the thoughts that she had heard. She decided to call Amelia, it was not too late and she knew that she would still be awake._

"_Hi, it's me, you weren't asleep were you?" She asked hopefully._

"_Nope, not at all. What's up? How are things in Shreveport? Got any juicy stories to tell me?" The witch was eager to hear anything about her sex life._

"_Nothing out of the ordinary. How's Tray, still working like crazy?" She was easing into the bomb that she felt she was dropping._

"_Yup, bikes, bikes and more bikes. Business is good though. He buys me more stuff when business is good. When is the next time your coming home for the night? I miss having you around sometimes." Her voice was sweet._

"_Well, actually, that's what I was calling to talk to you about. Amelia, Eric asked me to move in with him." She was nervous and excited all at the same time. There was no response for several seconds._

"_Get out! Are you shitting me? He asked you to live with him, like permanently? Sookie, that is like a __huge_ step. I am _sooo_ happy for you. Did you accept, did you like jump his dead bones and accept like crazy. Sookie, you know what this means." She was genuinely happy for her.

"Well, it means that I have to consider leaving Merlotte's, or at the very least really cutting back my shifts." She responded simply.

"Um no, Sookie, it means that he wants to be with you all the time. He's going to end up asking you to marry him." She was acting like a little girl with a huge secret.

"Amelia, seriously…I don't think Eric is really the marrying type. Besides, he hasn't ever even hinted at anything like that. We're happy with the way things are, we love each other. It's nice and it's easy, I doubt he would want to complicate this with all the legal shit that goes along with marriage." She was being realistic, but as soon as the words came out of Amelia's mouth her heart skipped a beat. What if he was thinking about marriage? Would she ever marry him, would she have a wedding she had always wanted? She smiled and beamed at the idea.

"Are you telling me that you have never once thought about marrying that gorgeous Viking? That the thought has never once crossed your mind? Again, truth spells are a specialty of mine." She teased and waited for a response.

"I mean I've like daydreamed about it. Isn't that what girls do, dream about their weddings. Only my dreams have a dead guy at the end of the aisle, not my high school sweet heart. I've thought about it tons of times, but like I said, I really don't think Eric is the marrying kind. We're practically married as it is. Why would he want to change things? Anyway…I said that I would move in with him. That's why I was calling. Do you think that you would like to lease my house as the sole tenant. Of course Tray is welcome, and if Octavia comes back from new Orleans she's always welcome. But, it would be just you." She was back down to business and off the wedding talk.

"I am so excited, Tray is going to be thrilled. Not that he doesn't love it when you're around, but knowing that we have the house all to ourselves, all the time…that will be amazing. You'll come out and visit a lot though, you're not like abandoning me."

"No, I'll come by all the time, just to screw with Dawson." She teased her and laughed when she thought about dropping by in the middle of the night. "I'll always stop by after I leave Merlotte's." She was sad at the idea of having to tell Sam.

"I'm going to miss you. I knew this was going to happen, but, now that it really did, I'm going to miss having you here." Her voice was strained as she tried not to cry.

"I know, I'm gonna miss you too Amelia. It's not like I'm leaving the country. I'll be around, it's like I won't even be gone. We'll have a girl's night real soon, sound like a plan?" Her voice sounded hopeful and energetic,

"Absolutely, you know I love girl's night out. I'll talk to you soon. Tell Eric I said Hello, Pam too. Good night." She was feeling sad but enthralled with her friends new adventure.

"Night Amelia, thanks. Talk to you soon, Bye" She hung up the phone and made herself a quick sandwich. She loved being alone in his house. The quiet was peaceful and relaxing. She looked around and realized that this was now her home too. Before it felt like her home, just not actually her legal address. Now it was her home, her address, her future. She thought about what Amelia had said about marriage. She thought about what it would be like to be married. Would Eric actually ever really want to marry her? Would he ever really want to have the whole ceremonial commitment to one another. The big white dress, flowers, family, friends, party, honeymoon. She giggled when she thought about the honeymoon. She had thought about it many times, but it never really was something that she had pinned her hopes and dreams on.

She went upstairs to take a shower. She glanced at the clock and realized it was only 1am. Eric still wouldn't be home for more than an hour. She showered and scrubbed her face and her hair. She shaved her legs and under her arms, even though Eric didn't like it. She hated the feeling of being prickly, she would never stop shaving. She let the hot water pour down over her body and thought about what he was doing. She felt him through their bond and knew he was working or thinking about something pretty involved. She could feel that he was tense, but not nervous or uneasy. Just involved.

She dried off and put on a favorite pair of pajama's. They were the softest silk she had ever felt. Shorts and a button down shirt in the prettiest color lavender. They were a gift, of course. She dried her hair and crawled into bed and decided to wait for her love to get home from work.

She must have fallen asleep because when she woke he was beside her. Holding her close and wrapping his arms around her body. He was smelling her freshly washed skin and hair. He began kissing the back of her neck and her shoulders. She rolled over to look at him, but he did not look himself. He looked…afraid.

"Eric, what's wrong? Are you alright? Did something happen after I left? What's going on?" Her voice was trembling. It was not often that she had seen that look on his face.

"Sookie, I need to tell you something." He took her hand and looked into her eyes, willing her to calm down. "Bill is coming home from South America Friday night. I waited to tell you because I was afraid of what your reaction would be. I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner." He looked into her eyes and waited for her response.

"Honey, you're upset because Bill is coming home? What did you think would happen? Did you think that I would go running to greet him and forgive all his past betrayal's?" Her voice was calm and it was gentle. As soon as she heard him say the words she was instantly OK. All she wanted was for him to tell her the truth, not to try to hide anything from her. As soon as he told her she was relaxed and ready to handle whatever came their way.

"No, I didn't think that would happen. I was just unsure of what your reaction would be. He has no idea about our relationship. I plan on telling him after he arrives and comes to give me his report on what he found on his recent trip. Sookie, I have known that he was coming back for a couple of weeks. I just haven't had the courage to tell you." He was disappointed in himself and she could feel this.

"Well, you should have told me as soon as you knew. It wouldn't have changed anything, it wouldn't have changed my feelings for you. It wouldn't have made me question our relationship. Eric, we have come a long way from what we used to be. I thought we had gotten past the trust issues. I mean, if we hadn't do you really think I would have let that blond bitch strip herself practically naked in front of you tonight. If I didn't trust you I would have grabbed her by the hair and tossed her out of that bar myself." Her voice was sharp and slightly bitter. She looked into his eyes and he knew that she meant every word that was coming out of her mouth.

"I know, my trust issue is not with you, it is with him. I know that he still holds deep feelings for you. I know that he would do anything to make you return to him. I would like nothing more than to kill him, but I know that would hurt you. I know that he will try and do just about anything to make you see that he is the better choice for you. I can't allow that to happen. I will not allow that to happen." He pulled her in and hugged her like it was that last time. She had a hard time breathing as his grip was so tight. "When I tell him on Friday I will make it very clear that we are happy and we are bonded, and there is no breaking that bond. He will be made to understand."

"Honey, I'm having a hard time breathing here." He quickly loosened his grip. "Thanks, anyway, I think that I would like to tell him. I'll be the one to break the news to him, it will be easier that way. I can handle it, I'm ready to handle this." She was steadfast and strong.

"No. I will not let you be alone with him. I will tell him at Fangatasia when he comes to give me his report." He was ready to fight this one out.

"Excuse me buddy!" She pointed her finger into his chest. "I will be the one to tell him everthing. Me, I will be doing the talking. I am a big girl and I can handle myself, especially when it comes to him. I don't give a damn if you don't want me alone with him. I plan on going to his house and telling him the truth. That you and I are together, that we are in love, we are bonded, living together. I will tell him my way, the best way. I don't need you waving our relationship under his nose like it's a prize. I know how to handle this and I will do it, my way. You got that?" Her eyes were blazing with blue intensity. She was hyped up and he could hear her blood pump through her veins. Her hands were clenched like she was waiting for a fight. He went to touch her arm and she shoved it away.

"Don't you dare touch me until you agree that I will be the one that tells him. You can not expect me to just let you go and destroy the rest of whatever he has. He may have hurt me, but he deserves to hear this from me. I owe this to him, it would be like rubbing salt in a wound coming out of your mouth. I won't have that, I will not allow it." Her voice was at the breaking point, her eyes began to feel warm and watery.

"If that is how you feel, I suppose I will let you tell him. But, if you insist on doing it at his house then I must insist on being at your house. That way if something goes wrong I can be there to protect you and help you." His voice was defeated but gentle. "I do not like the idea of you being alone with him, my body aches at the idea of him trying to convince you to come back to him. I only wanted to tell him to spare you the pain. Can you understand why I handled this in this manner?" He looked at her as her tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Yes, I know why you did it. But you have to realize, I can take care of myself. I can take being hurt and being sad and everything that comes with that. I am strong and I believe in you, and I believe in us." She reached for his hand. "I love you, only you."

He reached down and kissed her a passionate and deep kiss. Her body responded and he pressed his lips even harder to hers. His tongue was working in a rhythm that made her body melt into his. She forcefully grabbed him and pulled him directly on top of her. She worked the shirt from his body and dug her fingers into his chest and his shoulders. She kissed his neck and shoulders and he rubbed himself over her body. She cried out his name every time he grazed her neck with his mouth. Her pajama's were only light silk so she could feel every inch of his body through them.

He unbuttoned her shirt and rubbed his hands and mouth down her chest. He took her breast in his mouth and rubbed the other one in his palm. She ran her fingers through his hair as he kissed her chest and made her body shriek with delight. She slipped her hand into his pants and caressed his butt, begging him to press into her. She pushed his pants down and helped remove them from his body. He watched as she slipped out of her silk bottoms and placed herself back on to the bed. 

He looked at his pants on the floor and remembered that the box was still in his pocket. He remembered what Pam had said. He looked at the beauty before him, waiting for him to return to her and make love to her. He went to pick up his pants, but at the last minute he stopped. Instead he dropped in front of her and buried himself between her legs. She arched her back and moaned as she felt his cool tongue on her very hot body. He was intense and apparently very ready to get down to business. Within seconds his tongue was moving in the familiar motion that always made her come. He knew that he could make her come almost immediately, and that is exactly what he wanted to do. He quickly slid one finger inside of her and reached for the special spot. It had been all of about a minute and she was breathing like she had run a marathon.

"Oh my God, Eric…Eric, Eric" She felt her orgasm start to release and then he turned to her thigh and bit. She closed her eyes tightly and could only see the bright white that flashed as she felt her muscles spasm around his hands. He dragged himself up her body and let his tongue drag itself along the way. He kissed her and grabbed a handful of her hair in his fist. He wrapped it around his hand like he was a cave man getting ready to carry his mate off to the cave by the head. He pulled her head backwards and exposed her bare neck. 

He had only bit her on the neck maybe once or twice before. He ran his tongue all over the bare skin and kissed and nipped at the sensitive flesh. She trembled with desire and every time she felt his mouth she moaned his name. She wrapped her arms around his waist and dragged her fingernails across his back. She could feel the blood that she had drawn and this excited him even more. He returned to her mouth and moaned into her, "Oh lover, I plan on fucking you until the sun comes up."

"Then stop planning and start doing" She teased back. He kissed her and slammed his body into hers. He pulled her neck to his mouth and he sank his fangs in. She let out a scream that was a mix of pleasure and pain. He sucked on the wound and she rubbed her body against his. After he was done he let his hands roam across her body and he entered her. She was more than ready and she pulled him into her, trying to get him further inside of her body. He was still hungry to have her and was fast and furious. She wrapped herself around him and took every inch of him, moving her hips in his perfect rhythm.

He slid his hand under her bottom and flipped her around so that she was suddenly on top of him. She continued the motion and took his hands in hers. She laced her fingers with his and placed his hands on her hips. He moved them together and watched her as each movement brought her closer and closer to another release.

She looked into his eyes and thought about what Amelia had said. She thought about being married to him. She wondered if that was ever going to be a possibility. He looked at her and his eyes were intense and they were determined. He was so good at everything he did, especially making love to her. She could feel his release approaching just as hers was coming. She bent down and let her hair fall over his face, never releasing his hands from hers on her hips. She kissed him and looked into his eyes as they both reached the end together. He was not done with her, he kept his plan, he made love to her until the sun came up.


	6. Chapter 6

When she awoke the next day she was not in her usual spot. Eric had carried her to bed with him, in his windowless, light tight room. He had not wanted to go to sleep for the day without her, and since they were up all night, she was clearly out of it when he took her out of bed and brought her with him. She looked around, with no windows there was really no way of telling what time it was. She didn't want to make much noise and disturb him. She rolled over and snuggled close to his body, his arm was draped across her body and clutching the afghan that had become a part of him.

She kissed his hair and rubbed her face on his chest. He felt this and pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. She just laid there, she loved being held by him, being safe and protected. She closed her eyes and thought about what lay ahead of her. She was going to have to tell Bill tomorrow night that she and Eric were together. She knew it was going to hurt him like hell, but there was no avoiding it. She tried to think of the least hurtful and most tactful way to relay the news and she couldn't come up with anything. She decided that it would be best to treat it like a bandage, rip it off the wound quick, get it over and done with. Yes, that would be best. Quick and painless.

She closed her eyes and fell back to sleep, she still had no idea what time it was, she didn't care. The whole world could be going to shit outside around her and she was fine right where she was. Perfectly safe in her windowless room. She dreamed about her life and her future. She dreamed about being married. Damn that Amelia, why did she have to put these idea's in her head?

He could feel that she was still with him as he slept. He almost thought that he could feel what she was dreaming about. He thought that a couple of times he heard her say, or maybe he heard her think about the words Mrs. Northman. Each time he thought he heard this he pulled her closer to him and radiated his love to her. He inhaled her scent and tried desperately to wake himself enough to make love to her again, but he knew that she was still worn out from the evening before.

She slept and slept, she was exhausted. She was comfortable and she didn't have to think about anything other than her dreams. He was becoming restless, the sun was setting. She had slept through the entire day, it wasn't the first time that she had stayed up all night making love, just to sleep the next day away. He rolled over and watched her as she slept silently. He brushed the hair from her face and kissed her nose. She wrinkled it when she felt the coolness and opened her eyes.

"Morning, guess I lost the day. See what happens when you bring me to bed with you." She hugged him and laid her head on his chest.

"I can think of worse things to do." He grinned and kissed her hands. "Now tell me, did you have sweet dreams?" he was hoping to get the answer that he thought he had heard before.

"You know…I don't remember. I think I was dreaming, but I can't quite remember. Whatever it was, it was very happy, I know that." She sighed.

"Interesting…you can't remember anything?" He questioned her very gently.

"Nope, why? Should I be dreaming something in particular. Something involving a Viking and a bed?" She smiled and rubbed her hand on his chest.

"Well of course I would hope that you are dreaming of making love to me. I only dream about making love to you, forever." He thought about the ring that was still in his pants from the night before. "Sookie, do you want to come with me to the bar tonight, or would you rather stay here or go to Bon Temps?" He whispered in her ear and the minute she felt his cool breath on her skin she reached for him.

"I think I'd like to stay with you right here, all night." She purred back and he knew that she was awake enough to handle his advance.

"Well, as much as I would like that too, I do have work that needs to be done. I promise, I will leave early tonight." He kissed her and let his hands slide down her thighs. She parted them for him and rolled over on top of him.

"I think that I'll go with you, I don't want to be away from you. Do you think that would be OK?" She slid herself down on to him and he let out a raspy growl of satisfaction.

"I think that will be just fine."

They made love and showered and he decided that tonight he was going to ask her to marry him. Damn what Pam had said. Damn Bill, damn them all. He was going to take a huge step forward and he was certain that she would be ready to take that step with him. He thought about how to do this and he quickly made a call to Pam while she was still drying her hair.

"Pam, I need you to bring Sookie to the bar tonight. I am going to leave early to do a few things. Pick her up at nine, do not be late." He hung the phone up and walked into the bathroom.

"Lover, I need to go to the bar a little earlier than usual. There is something that I must attend to. Pam will be here to pick you up at nine, feel free to dress up a little." She smiled at her and walked downstairs to the kitchen. She tilted her head slightly and smiled.

She quickly finished up drying her hair and walked down to find him waiting for her in the kitchen. He had prepared her a quick dinner, pasta with pesto sauce. Despite the fact that he didn't eat, he was really quite the cook. He sipped on a bottle of blood and watched her as she enjoyed her meal.

"Is everything OK?" She was curious as to why he needed to make an early appearance at the bar.

"Yes, fine. Something just came up, that's all. I will fill you in on all the details a little later. How is you dinner?" He admired her face as she looked thoughtfully at her plate.

"It's fantastic, thanks. When you say dress up a little…do you mean like don't show up in sweatpants and a ripped sweatshirt? Or, do you mean cocktail dress and heels and the whole nine yards?" She was concerned that she may not have anything to wear.

"Certainly do not wear those dreadful pants that look like you have had them since you were a child. They have holes everywhere, which is my good fortune…"He smirked at her and chuckled, "But do not feel like you must locate the most precious dress in the closet just to impress me. You know that I find you irresistible in anything you wear, including those dreadful pants, they are just not for tonight." He bent down and kissed her on the top of the head.

"I must be going. I will see you very soon lover. Pam will be here shortly. I love you." He kissed her softly and quickly disappeared.

She sat in the kitchen table and stared at the walls wondering what was so important that he needed to leave without her. She thought about what she was going to throw together on such short notice. Normally it would be a jeans and sweater kind of night, but it seemed that was taking a backseat to something else. She closed her eyes and thought of what she could put together, she felt him. He was nervous, exhilarated, happy. What was going on? She washed her plate and went to finish getting ready.

She had decided that she would wear a dress, it was warm enough out now that she could feel comfortable. She searched the closet and looked at each piece of clothing she had in the house. Not everything she owned was here, in fact a good part of her wardrobe was still in Bon Temps. She didn't want to look too over the top, but she also didn't want to look like she blew off his suggestion. She flipped through each garment hanging and was becoming irritated with the process.

She came across a navy blue knit dress. It had very tiny yellow flowers in the pattern, they almost looked like polka dots. They were sparse in the fabric so the dress did not look too busy. It was sleeveless, but she could easily throw a sweater over herself incase she got a little chilly. She smiled because she remembered that she had a perfect pair of heels to match this very dress. It was settled, the dress it is.

Eric had arrived at Fangtasia and was thinking to himself about what to do. He tapped the box in his pocket and thought about the moment he was going to ask her. What would he say? Would he actually practice that god awful human tradition of getting down on one knee? Would he give her a long, seemingly rehearsed speech about loving her always? He had no idea, he had never found himself in this position before.

Pam came into his office and watched him as he seemed to be miles away in thought.

"Eric, is there a problem with Sookie?" She was questioning her orders to pick her up promptly at nine.

"No, I have decided that I will ask her to marry me tonight. I needed some time to think about how I would do it. I will ask her here and I need you to bring her to me." His voice was flat and he was not interested in her opinion. She picked up on this instantly.

"I understand. I will see that she is here when you expect her." She nodded and quickly disappeared.

Eric paced around his office. He was suddenly feeling…unprepared. From what he knew, marriage proposals usually involved other sentimental gestures as well. Flowers, candles, desserts, some type of rouse to throw the recipient off of the trail of the actual proposal. He had none of those things, he only had a ring. He was tense and began dialing his phone frantically.

"Good evening. I am in need of some assistance and was wondering if you could accommodate me." There was a pause. "Yes, I understand that you have just closed for the evening, but I can assure you, it will be well worth your time and effort if you were willing to assist me on such short notice." Another pause…"Excellent, I will see you shortly." He hung up the phone and left the building.


	7. Chapter 7

He drove quickly to the nearest flower shop. He had convinced the owner to help him and was going to pay top dollar for everything in the shop. He walked through the door to the shop and inhaled the scent of the blooms. The owner of the shop stared in complete silence, he was not aware that he had agreed to help a vampire.

"I must extend many thanks for your graciousness. I will see to it that you are well compensated for your thoughtfulness. You have exquisite flowers, truly beautiful." He nodded at the older gentleman and walked silently through the shop.

"Th-thank you, ah, Sir. You ain't gonna hurt me or nothing, right?" The man was too scared to move. Eric is a sight when you expect to see him, never mind when you are not expecting him. He let out a loud rumbling laugh.

"Nonsense, I mean you no harm. Quite the opposite, I plan on treating you quite well for helping me on such short notice. I am here to purchase all of the flowers in this shop, every last one of them. I would like them arranged and put into the most delicate and expensive vases." He was gentle with his tone in order to not scare the owner further.

"Did you say the entire shop? I'm not sure you could afford that Sir, we're talking, oh…maybe five, six hundred bucks." The man was testing how ready the vampire was to bargain. Eric looked at him and tilted his head with haste.

"Why don't we settle on an even thousand. I told you that you would be well compensated and I am a man of my word. Now please, carry on with your work so I can get back to my place of business." He was slightly irritated that the man thought he was dealing with a common walk in from the street. The owner's jaw dropped and the conversation ended there. He disappeared into the back and began pulling flowers from cooler after cooler.

Eric looked at the flowers and wondered how he was going to fit all of this inside his Corvette. Again out came the cell phone. "Pam, I am at the flower shop three miles away. Please, bring your car here immediately." He hung up and waited. Like clockwork, Pam was there within five minutes.

"Eric, what are you doing?" She questioned his mental state.

"If I am going to ask my love to marry me there must be some type of sentimental gesture to go along with it. Isn't that what human's expect? Flowers and candles and dinner?" He questioned his vampire child.

"Are you seriously asking me?" She chuckled slightly at the idea. "Well I suppose that yes, girls do like the gesture of candlelight and flowers and romance. It was a lovely idea to purchase her…a _garden_?" She looked at the numerous arrangements that were filling the counter space. She began to load the flowers into their cars and looked at her watch, it was nearly time for her to leave and pick Sookie up.

"Eric, I will drop these off in your office and I must be off to get her." She drove away and did exactly as she said she was going to. Eric was quickly behind her, although he missed her when she left the building to go and get her. He looked at his office, there were flowers everywhere. Roses, Tulips, Lilly's, Daisies, Orchids, Carnations, Snapdragons, Dahlias, Mums. It was like Pam had described, a garden. He was busy arranging the vases when he heard a knock at his office door. It was too early for her to be there, he was annoyed.

"Enter" He barked. His mood suddenly darkened. He was not pleased, not pleased at all. His eyes were dark and they were intense. "You are early."

"I decided that since my work was complete it would be acceptable to return home. It did not think one day would be such a problem." Bill could sense his unhappiness. "Eric, there was no need to purchase me flowers in celebration of my early arrival." His words were cold, but amused.

"Yes, well I, I have an admirer. Tell me, how was your trip? " He was thinking of how to stop Pam from bring her to the bar.

"It was enlightening, I enjoyed it very much. I am very glad to be home, there are some things that I would like to settle now that I am back. I have stopped By Sookie's house, but no one was home. I assumed that she was working this evening but I did not see her car at Merlotte's. Do you have any idea where I might be able to find her this evening?" He looked at Eric with very narrow, deep eyes.

It took all he had not to reach over the desk and grab him by the neck and scream that she was on her way there to accept his proposal and make love to him on that very desk. "No, perhaps she is with Pam. They do enjoy each others company every now and then. Let me find out for you." The cell phone was in hand again as he quickly dialed. He dialed Pam as he was certain that if he called his bonded she would answer the phone by calling him an affectionate pet name, and he knew that Bill would be able to hear this.

"Pam, Can you tell me if Miss Stackhouse is in your company this evening?" He was being as evasive as possible hoping Pam would pick up on his hint. "Excellent, may I speak to her please. Tell her that I have an important message to pass along to her regarding Bill's return." Pam instantly knew and must have silently told her to play along. "Sookie, I hope that you are enjoying your time with Pam. I hope to see you very soon here at Fangtasia," At least he was being honest with her. "Anyway, Bill Compton has arrived from South America. We were expecting him tomorrow but he has decided to venture back to us a day early. Do you care to speak to him? Alright then, I will pass the message along." He hung up the phone and looked at Bill. He could feel how upset she was and he knew she was panicking. "Bill, Sookie states that she will meet you at your house. I suggest going there and waiting for her." He was clearly upset.

"How did you know that she would be with Pam?" He was desperate for some type of answer.

"Pam had asked for the night off for a girls night out. There are not that many girls that Pam finds…tolerable." He was quick.

"Fine, I will bring you my final report tomorrow. Thank you for contacting her for me." He nodded and left the building as silently as he walked in.

As soon as he knew he was gone he called her. "Lover, I am sorry. He just appeared at the bar. I had no idea that he was planning on coming home early. Are you alright?" He knew that she was freaking out.

"No Eric, I'm not alright. I was not expecting to have to handle this tonight. What the hell am I going to say to him? Do you think he had any idea? You didn't tell him anything did you? Eric, did you even hint that something was going on?" Het voice was sharp and fast.

"I did nothing of the kind. You were extremely set on the fact that you wanted to be the one to tell him. He did say that he went by your house and no one was home. And he went to Merlotte's and didn't see your car, that is when he came here. I will be right behind you. I told you that I would be at your house when you told him, just in case. It will be fine lover. Everything will be fine. I love you." He tried to sound strong and convincing, but he was just a concerned as she was. He knew that Bill would never dare harm her, not on purpose. He was just uncertain of how far he would go to try and make her see that she was wrong for choosing him. He drove silently to Bon Temps, he could feel how upset she was. How scared she was and how her body was hurting, his hurt the same. He pulled into her driveway and stepped on to the porch, he waited silently.

Pam pulled into his drive and she could see that the lights were on and he was waiting for her. Pam looked at her and tried to give her the best words of advise that she could muster, "Sookie, hold your head high. You should be proud that you have the love of Eric. Do not let him make you doubt what you have. He never understood you, he never deserved you. I know that you are a human and it is in your soul to forgive. Remember, if anything should happen, Eric will feel you and will be here to help you. Be strong, be Sookie." She gave her a slight smile and gave her a little shove, which in all certainty is a pretty big push in human strength.

She got out of the car and slowly walked up to the front door. She didn't even need to knock, she raised her hand to tap the door and before she could it swung open.

"Sookie, I have missed you." Without thinking he reached out and hugged her. She felt her arms hang at her sides as he did this and she quickly realized it would be less obvious if she returned the gesture. She quickly pulled away before he could take a large intoxicating inhale of her scent, or more precisely, her and Eric's scent.

"It's great to see you too. How was your trip?" They walked into the house and she stayed one step ahead of him. "You look really great, fantastic." She was trying to make small talk as she rested herself down on his couch. The fire was blazing and she remembered a time when the two of them had mode love in front of that very fire.

"It was wonderful, I got so much research done. I can't wait to tell you all about it. But first, how have you been? What have you been doing since I have been gone? You look truly remarkable, a vision." He was watching her with anticipation. He could feel that she was tense and he went to go sit closer to her.

"I don't think that is such a good idea, Bill." She scooted further down the couch in order to escape him.

"Sookie, please, I thought that this time apart would do us good. I have missed you. I am sorry for any harm I have caused you. You must believe me, I love you, I need to be with you." He tried to get close to her again and rubbed his hand over her shoulder.

"Bill stop. I am not mad at you anymore. I don't care about the past, I'm over it. I've been over it for a long time. You need to accept that we are never going to be able to be together in that way again." She looked at him sternly.

"Why, why do you say this? I love you and I know that we can be happy again. I am willing to spend the rest of my existence showing you just how much I love you. Sookie, we can leave Bon Temps. We can go away and be together where no one can harm us or threaten us, especially not Eric." When he said his name his voice was dark.

"Bill, no. I don't want to leave here. I don't want to run from anything. We…"

Before she could say another word Bill had stopped her with his mouth and grabbed her. He was kissing her and she was not prepared to fight of his advance, it happened so quickly. Eric had felt something happen through the bond and he rose to his feet. He waited for a moment and closed his eyes to feel what was happening.


	8. Chapter 8

His lips were cold and unfamiliar. She had forgotten what it was like to kiss him. She pulled her face away and just looked at him.

"Bill, do not ever do that again. I am not yours to just be grabbing and kissing. I am not running away with you, I am not going anywhere with you." She hesitated on her words.

"Sookie, something is different. What has happened?" He took a step back.

"Bill, I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry, but we are never going to be together again. Bill, I am in love with Eric. I am living with him in Shreveport. He is in love with me. We are very happy, I am very happy." She looked at him and waited for his response.

His eyes were defeated and hurt. He was ready to do whatever it took to make her see him. "Sookie, you will not survive. He is dangerous, he is not to be trusted. He will hurt you. Eric only loves himself, how do you think he had survived for as long as he has?" His words were cold.

"You may be right. He has survived this long because of all of those things and I am thankful for that. If he wasn't those things then I wouldn't know what this kind of love feels like. Bill we have been happy for five months and they have been the best five months of my life." She was trying to be gentle with her words. It was not working. Something inside of him snapped and he rushed to her, grabbing her.

"Sookie, you have no idea what you are doing! He will hurt you, he will never love you the way that I love you!" He was shaking her and yelling, she was terrified.

"Bill, stop, you're hurting me. Stop, please." It was as though he couldn't hear her pleading.

"He will tell you everything you want to hear because that is what he does! He will take away every part that makes you special, he will leave you with nothing! You can't let that happen, you don't love him!" He was trying to shake sense into her.

Eric could feel that she was absolutely terrified. He knew that this was not terror of a conversation that she was avoiding. It was actual fear, pain, confusion. He took off running.

"Bill, please, please, you are hurting me. Just let me go and we can talk about this. Please, Eric will be here. He'll know that you are hurting me. Please, let me go and it will be better. Bill…_please!_" She screamed in pain as her wrists felt like they were going to break. He suddenly saw what had happened and reacted like he had been in a trance.

"Oh God, Sookie, I'm sorry" He released her wrists and pulled her to his body and she was too scared to run. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry" He was squeezing her as she sobbed.

There was a loud crash and they both knew exactly what was about to happen. Eric came into the living room and saw her sobbing, her wrists red and raw with where she had been held and shaken. He was still squeezing her as she shook out of fear. She felt her knee's start to give and Eric quickly moved to brace her.

"Please lover, sit. I will take care of this." He took her arms and examined the damage. He kissed them lightly and looked into her eyes. She was truly frightened.

"Eric, I don't think he knew what he was doing. I don't think he had any control, it was like he was something else completely. I don't think he meant to hurt me." He may have hurt her, but she was worried about how Eric would handle this situation.

"Shh, I will handle this." He kissed her softly and turned to the stoic vampire. "You tell me why I should not kill you right now for hurting her in this way. You tell me why I should allow you to live after laying a finger on my beloved!" He had the most dangerous tone that she had ever heard. When Bill heard him say the word beloved he actually flinched.

"How can you call her your beloved? You will hurt her, you will leave her with nothing. You can have anyone you want, why her?" He dared ask the question.

"Are you questioning my love for her? I would lay down everything for her, and she would do the same for me. She is everything to me, she is my bonded. She is my entire world and I will spend every single day showing her how much I love her. What did you do Compton? You betrayed her, you lied to her, you physically, emotionally, mentally abused her." He was going to say everything he intended to say. "Every chance you got you hurt her. I will never hurt her. I will never lie to her. I may be everything that you say I am, manipulative, evil, self serving, opportunistic, sneaky. But I am also lucky, lucky because she knows all of these things and she chooses to love me anyway." He looked from him to her and saw that she had stopped crying. Now she was just looking at him as he declared his undying love in the middle of Bill's living room.

Bill looked at her and saw that she was entranced with his words. "Sookie, you can't listen to this. It is exactly what he wants you to believe." He was desperate. She snapped her eyes towards Bill.

"Bill, yes it is what he wants me to believe. It's exactly what he wants me to believe, and do you know why? Because it's the truth. I love him, I'll love him until the day I die. You can either accept that or you can say goodbye to me right now. I will not listen to you trying to convince me otherwise. I know what the truth is. If you can't handle that, well that's your problem." She walked toward Eric and took his hand in hers. They walked towards the door and she looked back towards Bill.

"It's your decision. You can be my friend and accept my life the way it is, or you can leave us alone. Good night" She gave him a deep, genuine smile.

Eric went to take her arm and she pulled back out of pain, he had forgotten the marks that Bill had left.

"I am sorry, I was lost in the moment and forgot your discomfort. Please excuse me" Before she could protest he had walked back into Bill's house. She heard a few heated words and a thud. Eric had gone back inside, made it very clear that he was never to lay another finger on her body, and for added measure, knocked him out.

She watched him as he walked out of the house, he was proud that he had protected what was his. She was not to pleased with what had just happened, but, things could have been worse, right?

"Eric, I love you. Really, what you said in there. You said everything that I had wanted to, but couldn't. You're right, I would lay down everything for you. I'm happy that you came when you did." She could feel her eyes begin to tear again and she quickly kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him, thankful to he held in his arms. She buried her face into his chest and was silent.

"Lover, there isn't anything I wouldn't do to protect you. He knows nothing of our relationship or how deep my love for you truly is. I would gladly kill him if that is what you wished. I will always love you, I plan on showing you every day just how much I love you. I felt it when he hurt you, you were scared and you were desperate for help. You could only think of me, you knew that I would protect you. I knew when he kissed you, I felt how he caught you off guard and you were uneasy. It took all that I had not to come here and break his neck. But, I knew that you were able to handle the situation and that you had not yet told him of us. But when I felt your fear, when I felt your pain, I knew that I could no longer hold off. I knew that I needed to get to you. Sookie, I was afraid for you also. I'm sorry you were here alone." He looked into her eyes and he was truly sorry.

"Do not be sorry, this was my choice. I wanted it this way. We are fine now, I will heal and we will be fine. Now that Bill knows we can go about our lives. We can go home and make love and go to sleep. When I get off of work tomorrow afternoon I'll drive back from Bon Temps and get into bed with you, everything will be fine. I love you…I love you." She pulled him in for another passionate kiss. He wrapped his fingers in her hair and he let himself rub against her body. She laughed and broke from his lips.

"Ah, baby, I never thought I'd actually say this, but…you got a stake in your pocket or you just happy to see me?" She moved her eyes towards his pants. He looked at her like she had just turned into a vampire in front if his very eyes.

"What?" He was confused and then suddenly he rubbed his hands down the side of his jeans. The ring box, the ring box was in his pocket and she had felt it on her body. Apparently this was his moment, no flowers, no candles, no dinner, no sentimental gestures. Just them. He looked at her and he smiled at her in a way that she had never seen before. She instantly melted into his eyes.

"Lover, every word I said in that house was the truth. I will spend every day showing you how much I love you. You have changed my entire world, and I am a better person for having you. You make me see things differently, you make me happy. You are intolerable and stubborn, but that is half the reason I love you so deeply. You accept me for who I am, just as I accept you. I love you Soookie, I will love you until I am no more." He removed the box from his pocket and he did the thing that he least expected. Out of instinct he dropped to his knee and opened the velvet box before her. "Please, Sookie, say that you will marry me." His eyes were the bluest that she had ever seen, and it was dark out under the sky. Tears flooded her eyes as she listened to her Viking ask for her hand in marriage. She looked a little more closely at him, the whites of his eyes had started to rim with red. He was unexpectedly emotional.

"Eric, it's beautiful. I have never seen anything like it." She knelt before him so they were almost on the same level. "Eric, I would be so honored to marry you." She almost couldn't get the words out of her mouth. He took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger, it was a perfect fit. He gazed at it in the moonlight, a red tear that matched the red rubies ran down his cheek.

They kissed and made love right there in the grass. Neither one of them cared if there was a human, vampire, or any other creature around to see or hear. When they finished making love there he drove them home and they made love all night. All she could think about was the new life that awaited her.


End file.
